Exit Empire is a three piece post hardcore band currently based in the Czech Republic founded in 2016 by two brothers Timmy Ruzicka on guitar and vocals, Premysl Ruzicka, Jr. on drums and their best friend Rafael Eimut on lead vocals. The band is planning to make the move to the U.S. particularly Los Angeles and tour both the U.S. and the world. Exit Empire are a dyi band and have even kept the production of their videos within the band. They dropped their debut music video “Ignore Me” in May of 2017. The next music video “Shut Up” was released a few months later in July. These songs are taken from their self-titled debut album released in October 2017. Both audio and video is produced by the band at Exit Empire Studios, keeping every bit of creative control under their belt. In the bands mission statement they have said “We create music that moves people, both in heart and at a concert. Our goal is to achieve greatness no band from Czech Republic tried to before. Through sharing a complete dedication and passion within the band and with our fans, we believe it’s possible. Our songs tell personal stories through the sound of modern alternative metal. It’s full of heavy riffs and singable melodies, with electro background for epic atmosphere that feels bigger than life.” Exit Empire has some tour dates coming up one of which includes American rap rockers Crazytown and UK based band Death Remains if you are in the Czech Republic make sure to get out and see these guys live.
Exit Empire’s self titled debut beings with the track “Nobody Else”. Some spoken word in their native language kicks off the track followed immediately by a groove filled riff and some electronic style sounds. Rafael Eimut’s vocals give us both a clean melodic sing along type style and a harsh screaming vocal as well. In addition to his vocals you also have Timmy Ruzicka adding some vocals as well. Vocally the band does fit very much into the post hardcore style with the mixture of vocal styles, but musically they bring a variation of different genres into the mix. Their mix of electronic stylings is reminiscent at times of Orgy. “Ignore Me” is the second track on the album and it is one of the more melodic tracks on the album. On some of the tracks the lyrics don’t come across perfectly in the way he enunciates the words which is expected with non-native English speakers. But here on “Ignore Me” everything comes across perfectly. “Fly” is one of the more ferocious tracks on the album and really shows off the bands more aggressive approach. Though there is some melodic vocals throughout the track the harsh screaming portions of the song and the amazing drumming by Premysl Ruzicka, Jr. really give this track an overall heavy vibe. There is also some group chanting that really raises the bar for the song as well. Probably my favorite track on the whole record. One track that really stands out for it’s lyrical content is “Shut Up”. The lyrics read “You taught me to stay in line, not to stand out, don’t cripple my chance, you suck at this and you know it well, the time is right now and not in the future, you fucking flock of vultures.” I believe most anyone during their upbringing can relate to these lyrics and there has been someone in your life who has brought you down or held you back. It’s great to see Exit Empire use lyrics to connect with their fan base. “Forging My Own Crown” brings back the electronic style but also this creepy style and toned down hushed vocal approach that really helps the song stand out on the album. It is one of the slower tracks but it really shows the different tones and variants of vocal styles Rafael brings to the table. Again this song also adds some heart felt lyrics that help you bond with the band.
It’s always great when you receive an album in the mail for review. When Exit Empire sent this album over it was even more surprising. Not only did the band take the time to mail over a copy of their album and a thank you note, but they also included 4 Czech pilsner beers for our consuming as well. How the brews made it through customs i’ll never know, but we appreciate their approach. Exit Empire’s debut album is excellent. For a band that has a do it yourself attitude from the production of not only their music but their videos doesn’t happen much in modern music. It keeps everything in their wheelhouse and ensures their vision remains the heard and seen throughout their audio and video releases. If you appreciate lyrics and are a fan of electronic music or post hardcore I highly recommend this album. Make sure to check out their Youtube channel here for additional videos, and you can check out the video for “Shut Up” below as well as a stream of the entire album.
